Open-World Games With The Most Emotional Side Stories, Ranked

Summary

In the open-world genre, side stories often serve as a treasure trove of emotional depth and personal impact.
Games like Kingdom Come: Deliverance and Red Dead Redemption 2 offer grounded worlds filled with believable characters and relatable, complex dramas.
State of Decay 2 and Middle-Earth: Shadow of War leverage unique sandbox mechanics to generate personal and emotional gameplay stories beyond pre-designed quests.

Beyond the central narrative, open-world games provide a vast array of activities that can offer genuinely satisfying experiences for players. In numerous games, side missions are functional yet forgettable, often just simple tasks worth doing only for rewards or experience points (XP). Nevertheless, certain games stand out by providing optional quests with compelling and emotionally resonant stories.

Games renowned for their emotionally resonant storytelling offer a variety of experiences, ranging from side quests filled with poignant and heartbreaking plot developments to main narratives starring captivating characters with rich personalities. Additionally, these games often feature innovative sandbox systems that foster deeply meaningful gaming moments unique to each player, extending beyond any given quest.

Since games like “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt,” “Cyberpunk 2077,” “Elden Ring,” “NieR: Automata,” and “Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth” are well-known for their moving side content, they won’t be part of the list below as they have previously been highlighted in a different compilation focusing on emotional RPG side stories.

7. Ghost Of Tsushima

Moving Optional Storylines That Explore The Complicated Fates Of Jin’s Allies

In Ghost of Tsushima, there are numerous optional quests, with the majority revolving around freeing the inhabitants of Tsushima from the Mongol invasion. Although these mini-stories often incorporate heartbreaking or emotional elements, they don’t leave as lasting an impression compared to those involving Jin Sakai’s associates and friends. Characters such as Yuna, Taka, Lady Masako, Sensei Ishikawa, warrior-monk Norio, mercenary Ryuzo, and others become the focus in these more profound dramatic narratives.

Over the course of numerous adventures, these characters’ complete journeys unravel, exploring their layered narratives filled with past errors, vengeance, reconciliation, deception, and additional themes. By concentrating on a compact band of characters within interwoven quests, the creators craft detailed narratives and authentic personas that strike a chord with players as they navigate each narrative thread.

6. State Of Decay 2

Sandbox Survival Mechanics And Permadeath Allow For Emotional And Personal Moments

State of Decay 2 skillfully combines narrative aspects and open-ended survival features, enabling players to manage diverse characters each with distinct attributes. The player has the flexibility to change characters when required. Unlike many open-world games, it provides fewer conventional side missions, typically focusing on “Survivors in Need” tasks that involve saving people from zombies. However, its survival mechanics foster organic, spontaneous narratives through gameplay. These spontaneous events tend to carry more emotional weight than the pre-scripted quests found in other games.

A notable aspect of this game is the permanent death of all playable characters, which implies that players could potentially lose their preferred characters due to their decisions. This unexpected loss can be impactful, creating an enduring effect that outweighs the emotional resonance of secondary quests involving non-essential characters.

5. Kingdom Come: Deliverance

A Grounded Medieval World Full Of Emotional And Relatable Stories With Great Variety

Looking forward to the upcoming sequel, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, the original game continues to shine as an exceptional medieval open-world adventure, brimming with captivating and impactful scenes, demanding challenges, and realistic daily activities. Boasting more than 50 side quests that offer a wide array of stories, Kingdom Come: Deliverance players are invited to delve into tales filled with unexpected twists, encompassing everything from amusing and whimsical to heart-wrenching and profoundly emotional. As these quests unfold, their tones may shift dramatically, ensuring an exciting gaming experience.

I find myself utterly captivated by the game’s world and characters, which seem remarkably grounded in reality. The narrative, focusing on relatable themes and the daily struggles of average individuals, offers a stunning depiction of the harsh realities and trials endured by ordinary people during that time period.

4. Middle-Earth: Shadow Of War

The Nemesis System Provides Unforgettable And Personal Character Interactions

Just like State of Decay 2, Middle-earth: Shadow of War shines not in its side quests but in its unique sandbox gameplay. Driven by the revolutionary Nemesis system, Shadow of War weaves unpredictable and emotionally engaging stories from players’ interactions with orc NPCs, resulting in memorable alliances, shocking betrayals, and intense rivalries between the main character and these custom-made characters.

As a gamer, each run-in with an orc chieftain offers unpredictable results based on my decisions: I can opt to eliminate them, show mercy and spare them, or even persuade them to join my ranks. This system is ripe for creating engaging and lasting stories – if only it wasn’t patented by Warner Bros., then more games could tap into its rich narrative potential.

3. Red Dead Redemption 2

The Unparalleled Interactivity Of The World And Its People

In numerous aspects, “Red Dead Redemption 2” shares similarities with “Kingdom Come: Deliverance” in their method of crafting a realistic and immersive open world setting. This game, set in the Wild West, is brimming with narratives that encompass a broad spectrum of moods and emotions, mirroring the very unpredictability of life. Be it side missions or chance meetings with strangers, “RDR 2” maintains player interaction by offering some of the most authentic and reactive Non-Player Characters (NPCs) ever conceived in an open-world game.

Red Dead Redemption 2 stands out not just for its numerous pre-crafted narratives, but also for creating spontaneous events with unforeseen results that keep players on their toes. For instance, accidentally losing a cherished horse due to a minor navigation mistake can be a profound and emotional event, often surpassing the impact of side stories in other games.

2. The Forgotten City

A Unique Narrative-Driven World Of Ancient Rome Fully Dependent On Players’ Choices

Initially developed as a mod for the game “Skyrim,” “The Forgotten City” distinguishes itself as one of the most distinctive narrative-focused open-world games, emphasizing dialogue and player decisions significantly. Ideal for individuals who favor resolving disputes through intellect rather than force, the game boasts an array of captivating characters and their compelling subplots (known as leads), giving players a versatile means to tackle them.

As a gamer, I’ve found myself immersed in The Forgotten City, a game that buckles the trend of overflowing side quests common in triple-A open-world titles. Instead, it offers a compact yet rich collection of quests brimming with intricate dilemmas and multilayered narratives. These quests tug at my emotional strings, forcing me to make tough choices that carry heavy implications for the characters I’m interacting with. For gamers yearning for an emotionally gripping and intellectually stimulating open-world adventure, The Forgotten City should definitely be on your radar.

1. Fallout: New Vegas

A Profound And Emotional RPG Experience Set In A Fascinating Universe

Even years following its debut, Fallout: New Vegas stands as a peak achievement for the series, admired for its extensive collection of side quests, unprecedented player autonomy, significant choices, and surprising plot twists. Frequently acclaimed as the finest Fallout game and Obsidian’s greatest masterpiece, the adventure across the Mojave and New Vegas is an emotional roller coaster brimming with colorful characters, varied factions, and exceptionally written companions. It offers some of the most innovative side stories in the RPG genre.

The exceptional power of Fallout: New Vegas is found in its unique knack for enabling players to truly embody well-rounded characters, leading to memorable conclusions when they stick to their chosen roles. Each gameplay session presents a myriad of surprises, hidden quests influenced by decisions and relationships, and numerous one-of-a-kind and heartfelt character encounters.

2025-01-16 06:34